All issues > Volume 34(5); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(5):654-661. Published online May 31, 1991.

Clinical study on lipoid pneumonia caused by aspiration of squalene.

Dong Joo Shin¹, Beom Soo Park¹, Moon Sun Yang¹, Heon Seok Han¹, Young Yull Koh¹, Hyung Ro Moon¹, Chang Yeon Lee²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Dongkuk University College of Medicine, Kyungjoo, Korea

Received: September 19, 1990;  Accepted: November 30, 1990.

Abstract

A clinical observation was made on 14 cases of lipoid pneumonia, who visited department of pediatrics, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital from August, 1988 to June, 1990. The results were as follows; The ratio of male to female was 10 : 4. Age at diagnosis was 1.1±1. 3 years, and ranged from 3 months to 4.9 years. The age at taking Squalene ranged from 5 days to 3 years 1 month of age. The interval between taking Squalene and the onset of symptoms was 28.4 ± 6.0 days. Chief complaints were cough (10 cases), fever (7 cases), tachypnea (7 cases), dyspnea (1 case), and irritability (1 case). The duration of admission till diagnosis as lipoid pneumonia was 79 days in the longest case. In 9 of 14 cases (64.3%), previous or underlying diseases were present, such as bacterial pneumonia (2 cases), menigitis (2 cases), achondroplasia, congenital muscular dystrophy, acute myelogenous leukemia, coarctation of aorta, and neuroblastoma. Patients usually took three capsules a day, which was increased up to 70 capsules maximally a day. Most of the patients took the medication in supine position, and the remainder in sitting position. Squalene was administrated in liquid form. Chest retraction was present in 11 cases, and no rale was heared in 13 cases. The respiratory rates were high for ages in all cases. Tuberculin test was negative in all cases. Hypertran- saminasemia was present in 12 cases (85.7%), but its significans was not explained. In chest X-ray, right uper lung was most severely affected, and right lower lung and left lower lung were affected also. In one case, atelectasis was present. In conclusion, lipoid pneumonia should be suspected when uncertain type of pneumonia is present in infants on lipoid substance.

Keywords :Lipoid pneumonia;Squalene